The long struggle to restore commercial air service at the Mercer County Airport is proving to be one of the region’s greatest challenges.
Although more than three years have passed since commercial air service was essentially grounded in Bluefield, efforts to get some form of commercial service, or limited taxi service, at the airport have been slow.
However, small steps continue to be made to get our airport ready for a possible return to commercial service in the future. The latest good news came from Washington Wednesday when the Mercer County Airport Authority received word of a $52,955 funding award for the airport’s ongoing rehabilitation project.
The planning phase of bringing the main runway apron up to safety standards is essential, according to U.S. Rep. Rick Rahall, D-W.Va., who helped to secure the latest grant award through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration. Specifically, the grant will provide federal funding for the design to rehabilitate the main apron at the airport. The work will include an evaluation of existing pavement, which has deteriorated and requires rehabilitation to ensure safe operations at the airport, according to Rahall, vice chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Although commercial service is not currently available, the Mercer County Airport is still providing a vital service to our region, and it is critical to local businesses and industries and private pilots. When the governor of either Virginia or West Virginia comes to town, or other prominent politicians for that matter, they will normally fly into the Mercer County Airport.
As a result, it is vital that we have a safe and update-to-date facility for our region — particularly if we are going to be successful in bringing commercial air service back to the facility while also attracting tourists and new businesses in particular to our region.
The latest grant award from the FAA is welcomed, and is another small step for our region in the long and turbulent journey to restore commercial air service to the Mercer County Airport.
We urge lawmakers in Washington, including Rahall, U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and now U.S. Sen. Carte Goodwin, along with Gov. Joe Manchin, to continue working with our local officials in Mercer County to develop a plan for a restoration of some form of commercial air service in Bluefield.
Editorials
July 24, 2010
Mercer County Airport — Another small step toward takeoff
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